I think negotiating a per-episode deal is a bad idea in a format like this where one expensive episode will be sandwiched between many cheap and under-budget ones. A couple of expensive episodes out of 40 for one series should not be worth permanently putting all of their workers out of their jobs.

If they could turn this into a solid success there would be room to negotiate wage increases down the line. Destabilizing it when it's just off the ground is silly.

Amen. Some networks would cancel shows just from all the headaches of it all. What the unions are doing is SHAMEFUL.